Producing Tomorrow’s Producers: Genevieve Sheppard and the ‘Wolf Pack'
Hailing from Canada, Genevieve Sheppard is an award-winning producer with over 20 years industry experience leading some of the largest global brands on both the production company and agency sides.
Genevieve started her production career working in film and television in the US and Canada until moving to London to embark on a career in advertising where she worked for agencies such as BBH, Wieden + Kennedy and BETC. She produced lauded work for top brands such as The Guardian, Virgin Media, Waitrose and KFC before going production company-side.
In 2020 Genevieve formed DROOL with advertising heavy-weight creative turned director Freddie Powell. Even in its infancy, DROOL has made a big splash within the industry consistently producing big, fun, energetic work that oozes a love for craft.
LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?
Genevieve> Prove yourself to be helpful. Take the opportunity to research the person you are contacting. Be aware of their work and respectful of their time. Whatever you do, don't write those generic ‘To Whom It May Concern’ emails. No one will read them. Remember everyone receives 100s of emails like that, so you need to stand apart. Also, bear in mind you may not be a perfect match for every company, so approach people with thoughtfulness.
Take pride in what you do. Do it well and listen to the advice you are given. Find a mentor you admire. Chat with them and ask questions as often as they will let you.
LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?
Genevieve> Do your research! I think the best skill of all is to be well informed. Read, watch, listen to as much as you can. Notice who is making what, be aware of the crew you admire, what production techniques they are using to make the work.
Expand your creativity. Always be watching not just ads, but film and TV. Get out to galleries too if you can. You never know where inspiration might hit and the more creative knowledge you can bank, the more you can do to help push the work with your director and the team.
LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?
Genevieve> You never know what opportunities lie ahead, so prove yourself to be the best you can be NOW at this very moment.
When I was at Wieden + Kennedy I cared deeply about the projects I worked on and the people I worked with. That effort paid off years later when former creative Freddie Powell called me up and asked if I had any interest in starting a production company. Good people want to work with other good and trusted partners, so build that loyalty, make a strong impression and your world opens up.
Also, charm will overwhelm any talent you may have. So be nice to be people, make them feel heard and make them laugh.
LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this?
Genevieve> I’ve grown up in this industry trying to find my voice amongst rooms full of men. There have been many times when I was the only woman in creative reviews or on set and that can be hard for a young person trying to build their workplace confidence.
It’s a deeply personal issue for me and my business partner Freddie Powell. We have a saying that we get our strength from the ‘wolf pack’ not one individual leader. Freddie and I love to mentor ‘up and coming talent’ and have strict processes in place to ensure we are giving diverse voices a seat at the table.
LBB> And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?
Genevieve> Diversity of ideas and people is just much more interesting and more fun! Why would we want to hear from the same people all the time?! I think the landscape is constantly adapting and we need to stay open to change. How we deal with the issue of diversity will constantly need to evolve.
I cringe at some of the behaviours we tolerated in the early part of my career. I’m sure our future selves will be critical of how we navigate tricky conversations now. I think what’s most important is keeping an open mind and listening to other voices.
LBB> There are young people getting into production who maybe don’t see the line between professional production and the creator economy, and that may well also be the shape of things to come. What are your thoughts about that? Is there a tension between more formalised production and the ‘creator economy’ or do the two feed into each other?
Genevieve> Firstly, thanks for explaining what ‘creator economy’ is (an influencer). Seems like a pretty good way to make a living if you don’t mind being permanently attached to your phone. My son wants to be a ‘YouTuber’ (or a professional footballer), and what I challenge him on is to pursue what he loves, not the ‘likes’. What we aspire to in our world of production is storytelling and collaboration. When we put too much importance to one leader, one spokesperson, I can’t help but feel some sense of the magic is lost.
LBB> When it comes to educating producers how does your agency like to approach this?
Genevieve> Freddie and I encourage an open forum for all our work. We believe in the strength of the wolfpack and that means everyone working, roundtable-style, to make the work the best we can.
We are definitely a company that welcomes all contributions. We feel it’s important for those less experienced to hear the conversations, see how we tackle production and how we work together. It is harder and harder post-covid when we’ve all gotten incredibly comfortable with Zoom meets, but there is so much that happens in an office setting that is vital education.
I also did the IPA / APA producer course when I was with BBH. This was excellent and I would absolutely recommend this to young producers - especially if your employer will pay for it!
LBB> It seems that there’s an emphasis on speed and volume when it comes to content - where is the space for up and coming producers to learn about (and learn to appreciate) craft?
Genevieve> Absolutely, that is really hard to navigate. I think it can be hard to remain motivated and curious when you are not working on creatively exciting projects. There is pressure to meet deadlines and work at pace and it all feels a bit crap.
I did some time working on a laundry detergent brand when I was just starting out at BBH. It was not exciting work. We did mostly animatics. But I had great mentors along the way to remind me that if I do this well, I will not only prove myself to my peers and directors, but every opportunity is one to hone your craft. Make an animatic well, have a laugh with the people you are working with and I believe that will get recognised and rewarded.
After about a year in purgatory, I was asked by Dav Karbassion (head of production at the time) to assist him on producing the Cannes Lion winning Guardian “Three Little Pigs”, to this day one of the best pieces of work I’ve had the pleasure of being involved in.
Also, don’t reply to emails too quickly! Take the time to understand what is being asked, and come back with a considered reply.
LBB> On the other side of the equation, what’s the key to retaining expertise and helping people who have been working in production for decades to develop new skills?
Genevieve> Diversity is not just about giving new voices and platforms, but also about respecting and listening to experienced pros. Being relative newbies on the production scene when we first started DROOL, Freddie and I relied heavily on those with more experience to help us along the way. I think Freddie will agree with me in saying neither of us feel like experts in this business, so seeking out mentors and collaborating with people more seasoned than us is essential to our success.
LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?
Genevieve> Communication will always be pretty fundamental in my mind. The best producers help everyone feel heard and feel important in the process. From the director to the runners, we all need to take pride in what we do and a producer is pretty pivotal in leading that charge. You are there to make sure each person has the tools to do their job well.
Also, always make sure there are some really good snacks.
